By GAIL LOWE
MELROSE—What began as a “hairbrained idea” to open a brewery in Melrose has turned into a successful business at 364 Main St.
Hannah’s Brewery Co. started with a “collision of the minds” during the COVID pandemic—specifically the minds of Jason Taggart and Mike Snow, both of whom are graduates of Melrose High School.
“We were doing some home brewing during the pandemic and thought about opening a brewery in our hometown,” said Taggart. “Not knowing how to go about it, we started e-mailing City Hall to see if we could get a response.”
With first things first in mind, Taggart and Snow needed a name for their brewery and decided to honor Taggart’s aunt and Snow’s grandmother—both Hannahs.
“I came up with the idea several years ago, and Mike thought the name fit our branding ideas,” said Taggart.
When he started traveling to Scotland to visit family, all the puzzle pieces began to fall into place.
“My aunt would buy me some unique craft beers in Scotland to try out,” Taggart said. “I felt that using her name would be a fitting tribute.” The two women would likely be pleased.
The beer sold at Hannah’s Brewing Co. is made on site, and the brewery is directly attached to the taproom.
“It’s a seven-barrel system with five fermenters and six serving tanks,” Taggart said, adding that he and Snow use kegs to empty the tanks and to keep the beer continually fresh and new.
The warm, cozy brewery features a bar, booths and communal seating for up to 70 people. Passersby can peek through the glass doors leading to the interior that put the bar and tasting room on display.
“We also have an outdoor patio with seating and barrels with tops big enough to hold food and beer,” said Taggart.
He and Snow have drawn people to their brewery by hosting various events. As an example, they are hosting pizza at halftime for the New England Patriots games.
Even more exciting, Hannah’s will celebrate Oktoberfest from noon to 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 13. The event will feature three German style beers as well as an oompah band and German foods.
“I think now that we’re settling in, we can focus on some of the goals that we originally set out to accomplish,” Taggart commented. “We really want to be a space where community groups can use our taproom for meet-ups, creative art events and our quarterly book fairs. We are also focused on trying to further our environmentally green practices for the brewery.”
Taggart also said he and Snow are gratified that the community has come out to support them as they navigate a new business and a new concept for the city.
As for his own taste in beer, Taggart is partial to light lagers but would never turn down a classic Belgian lambic or sour.
Either way, let the tastings begin!
For more information, visit www.hannahsbrewingco.com.